tim@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Timothy Jones) (10/13/89)
How do I make copies of diskettes under rt/aix? I'm trying to make backups of some "installp" diskettes. /tim -- ======================================================================== Timothy Jones, Instructional Computing tim@columbia.edu Columbia University Center for Computing Activities (212) 854-8319
karish@forel.stanford.edu (Chuck Karish) (10/14/89)
In article <1957@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> tim@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Timothy Jones) wrote: >How do I make copies of diskettes under rt/aix? I'm trying to make >backups of some "installp" diskettes. The brute-force method is to use dd to write each diskette's contents to the hard disk, then copy them back to another diskette, also with dd. Installp uses backup format, like updatep. I've had good luck using restore to read the files from diskette into a directory hierarchy on hard disk, then use backup to collect the hierarchy into a single file in hard disk. Updatep can use such a file to apply an update, given a command line like updatep -aci -d filename The same approach will, very probably, work with installp. Read the diskettes once, create a single archive file, and transfer it to other hosts by FTP. Chuck Karish karish@mindcraft.com (415) 493-9000 karish@forel.stanford.edu
njs@scifi.UUCP (Nicholas J. Simicich) (10/14/89)
In article <1957@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> tim@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Timothy Jones) writes: >How do I make copies of diskettes under rt/aix? I'm trying to make >backups of some "installp" diskettes. Something on the order of: dd if=/dev/fd0 of=/tmp/diskette bs=76800 then swap diskettes, and dd if=/tmp/diskette of=/dev/fd0 bs=76800 The "format" command will format an unformatted diskette, if you need to do that. It is important to use the bs=76800, as a large blocksize which is a multiple of 7680 makes everything work lots better, as there are no missed rotations and so forth. -- Nick Simicich --- uunet!bywater!scifi!njs --- njs@ibm.com (Internet)
jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) (10/14/89)
In article <1957@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> tim@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Timothy Jones) writes: >How do I make copies of diskettes under rt/aix? I'm trying to make >backups of some "installp" diskettes. If you don't have two floppy drives [ go buy one, they're cheap ], copy the entire diskette in image format to /usr/tmp or /tmp. Like this: # dd if=/dev/rfd0 bs=30b of=/tmp/floppy then copy the floppy image back to the diskette, like this: # dd if=/tmp/floppy bs=30b of=/dev/rfd0 You can change the 30b to 36b if you are using AIX on something with a 3.5" floppy drive. A second floppy drive is worth the expense. I paid $90 for one earlier this summer. -- John F. Haugh II +-Things you didn't want to know:------ VoiceNet: (512) 832-8832 Data: -8835 | The real meaning of MACH is ... InterNet: jfh@rpp386.cactus.org | ... Messages Are Crufty Hacks. UUCPNet: {texbell|bigtex}!rpp386!jfh +--------------------------------------
clarke@acheron.uucp (Ed Clarke/10240000) (10/15/89)
From article <5827@portia.Stanford.EDU>, by karish@forel.stanford.edu (Chuck Karish): - Installp uses backup format, like updatep. I've had good luck using - restore to read the files from diskette into a directory hierarchy on - hard disk, then use backup to collect the hierarchy into a single file - in hard disk. Updatep can use such a file to apply an update, given a There's a command to do this - /etc/bffcreate. It does the same thing for you in one step. Before someone told me about this, I was doing the same thing as you are. -- Ed Clarke acheron!clarke
karish@forel.stanford.edu (Chuck Karish) (10/15/89)
In article <1989Oct14.195624.28924@acheron.uucp> clarke@acheron.uucp (Ed Clarke/10240000) wrote: >From article <5827@portia.Stanford.EDU>, by karish@forel.stanford.edu (Chuck Karish): >- Installp uses backup format, like updatep. I've had good luck using >- restore to read the files from diskette into a directory hierarchy on >- hard disk, then use backup to collect the hierarchy into a single file >- in hard disk. >There's a command to do this - /etc/bffcreate. It does the same thing for >you in one step. Before someone told me about this, I was doing the same >thing as you are. Two problems: - bffcreate is not present in PS/2 AIX. - bffcreate (or `updatep -ba', anyway) doesn't let you choose where the hard-disk files get put. You need space for everything on the diskettes in root AND in /usr. As I recall, `updatep -ba' extracts the files into /usr/lpp, re-archives them into /etc/lpp, and deletes the stuff in /usr. I didn't find a way to change this behavior. Chuck Karish karish@mindcraft.com (415) 493-9000 karish@forel.stanford.edu